Meet Ellen Archie.  She is 36 years old.  At 22 she moved out on her own and was enjoying a life of independence.  Then, seven years later she suffered a C5 neck injury at a swimming pool which changed  her life forever.  She now faced several new challenges in her life.  And, as happens to so many people who are, or who become disabled, Ms. Archie ended up in a nursing home.  She wasn’t very happy there, and she had no intentions of staying for very long.  After two years living there, she came across a brochure for an organization called Independence Now while at a social services office.  “Independence Now saved my life,” says Archie, referring to the Maryland Community Choices program.  They helped her find housing through HOC and life began to get back on track.  Now she lives free, has assistance in her own home, and among other things, she’s excited again about the fact that she can choose her own meals!